Removable tape roll holder for printing machines



A ril 18, 1950 Filed May 5, 1945 FOR PRINTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Attorney April 18, 1950 A. E. THOMPSON 2,504,759v

REMOVABLE TAPE ROLL HOLDER FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed May 5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 18, 1950 ItEMQwiBLE TAPE ROBL'HGLDEB FOR PRINTING M en N-Es YWi hPWP Qr rdon .Enaiea eee signor toiCreed and Company Limited cjroy aqr England, a'British et apanyf Applieation-Mayfi; 1945;-Seria1Nn;-592}17-1i ln Great Britain Apvil ;4;.-1944;;

SectionI, rubiieLaw-ejao, A'uglist'8, 1946 Ifatentexpires Afpril 4; 1964 10 Claims.

This invention relates to teleprinters and more particularly to the mean's'iorholdinga continudus=roll of paper tape on which printing is to be eifected.

An object of thejinvention is to" provide a tape teleprinteriin whichthe paper tape can-be readily replenished:

According te j one" feature of the invention we provide a; combined: keyboard transmitter and a receiving tape teleprinter; in which a tape roll older fmo n adfa' he're r f jm on a; supporting member" and-f is readily removable iro'man'dr ladeable ana t onw rdi q an er. feature fl n n n a; tape: teleprinter comprises; a supporting base; ahorizontal'ra'il fiXeid'tQ saidbase andextending alon one edge thereof. a taperoll holder and a supporting member f or 'afltaperoll holder mounted 'on said rail, so as to' b'ejslidable-into' and out of operative position.

'Ifhe' horizontal rail also-servesv to protect the instrument against damage during transport on maintenance trolleys.

One embodiment of the invention is: hereinaft'er described withreierenceto' the accompanying drawin'gsin which:

Fig. 1 is a rear viewbf a tape telepri'n'ter. with h ove i i osi i a d w a aner -h de supported exteriorly. of the; cover;

Fig.2 is a view'similarjto Fig. l but showing the Q supporting member for the tape roll holder'removed from. itsposition and with aportion of the guide rail cut away.

Referring tg thedrawings theseare rear views of a combined kevboard transmitter and a tape tleprinter receiver" with a' cover l-inplace over the latter. The keyboard is at the'front of the machine andis'accordingly not shown in the drawings. Fixed to the rear of the supporting base of themachineisan angle member 2 formed with an upturned edge 3, This-member 2 constitutes a horizontalrail. A quadrantal piece 4 is fastened to the, rail 2, serving as-a struttherefor, and has a turned-up edge. within the edge: 3. Within the groove 'formed by, thisturned-up edge there is formed. in piece. 4 a; struck-up tongue 5. Fixed to the: vertical portion-10f; the angle memher 2 is a verticalrsuppert fi.having a short horizontal portion! fixed'to the upper end thereof.

The 'ta'pe roll holder '8 is journalled in a supporting plate-9- and-held thereto by a springnnger Ill. The supporting plate 9 with the tap roll holder 8 in position thereon can be pushed into the position shown in Fig. 1 with its lower edge sliding within the upturned edge 3 and the turned-uped'ge or the quadrantalpiece 4; a notch l l in the lower edge sliding over the upturned tongue 5 which serves to holdthe plate-9*in-operative' position. A channel" member F2 fixed -to the rear of-- plate 8 slidesover" the horizontal portion 'i and serves to; guide ;the' plate '9 into position'; The lefthandedge-or'plate 9; asseen in Fig. 2 fits into a guidemember I32 Theplate'll whenimposition in the rear o f' the finac hine is inclined to the vertical as shown and remains-in this operative-position whether-'ornotthe cover l of the teleprinter is inposition;

Associated with the horizontal-rail- 2- and fastened to theinstrument-base is a vertical rail-l which providesa rigid support' ii the instrument is turned upon its end'foraccessto components and wiring underneath the base. The guide member. 53 above referred to isfixed to this" vertical rail 14,

As the plate member] does not occupy'thefull extent of the rear of theinachine theunoccupied section contained by the horizontalr'ail 2 and vertical rail.l l islprovided'with side members IE to form a receptacle for messages, such as finished'traffic. awaiting collection for filing.

The paper tape lfi as it; leaves the tape roll holder 8 passes'between guidev rollersv l1 and thence over a horizontal roller journalled in a portion. [8 of. a lever! pivoted ontheaxis of the upper'guide roller I]. The. lever l.9carriesa block 28' and a spring, 2,] urges the lever l9 in a clockwise direction tdhold'the block 20 against ing' mechanism beingmdunted in the interior of;

the-frame 24; whilst the printingplaten is mounted-on the exterior of said frame as described in the above-mentioned application. The block 20; pressing against therim of the tape roll holder 8 acts as a brake to maintain a slight tension in the, paper and to, prevent excessive. unwinding of the paper tape when suddenly pulled. A pull on the tape moves the lever I9 in a counterclockwise direction against spring 2| and thus removes block 20 from the rim of the holder 8 allowing the latter to rotate, but as soon as the pull ceases the spring 2| pulls the lever [9 in a clockwise direction and applies block 20 to the rim of the holder 8 to check its rotation.

It will be seen that the operator can remove and replace the plate 9 whilst seated in front of the keyboard. A new roll of tape can be fitted in the holder and the tape threaded past the,

printing platen, without opening the cover. With the roll holder lying fiat on the table, there is no danger of the outer layers of tape falling off the roll before the plate 9 is put back into position and the threading of the tape to the printing point is greatly facilitated. In order to guard against damage to th tape whilst the plate 9 is being withdrawn and replaced, on edge of the a plate slidably supported on said exterior rail,

tape carrying means rotatably mounted on said plate, and means for continuously feeding said tape into printing position.

2. In a machine for printing on a continuously fed tape, said machine having an exterior rail, a plate slidably supported on said exterior rail, tape carrying means rotatabl mounted on said plate, said'plate further including a guard member facilitating removal of said plat from said rail, for receipt of a new tape supply, and means for continuously feeding said tape into printing position.

3. In a machine for printing on a continuously fed tape, said machine having an exterior rail, a plate slidably supported on said exterior rail, tape carrying means rotatably mounted on said plate, means for continuously feeding said tape into printing position, said plate further including brake mechanism engageable with said tape carrying means to oppose feeding of said tape, and means for disengaging said brake mechanism from said tape carrying means.

4. In a machine for printingon a continuously fed tape, said machine having an exterior rail, a plate slidably supported on said exterior rail, tape carrying means rotatably mounted on said plate, means for continuously feeding said tape into printing position, said plate further including brake mechanism 'engageablewith said tap carrying means to oppose feeding of said tape,and means for disengagin said brake mechanism from said tape carrying means, said last-named means including a lever pivotally mounted on said plate, and shiftable by pull exerted on said tape by said tape feeding means.

5. In a machine for printing on a continuously fed tape, said machine having an exterior rail, a plate slidably supported on said exterior rail, tape carrying means rotatably mounted on said plate, and means cooperating with said rail to support said tape carrying means and plate during tilting of the machine for inspection of the underside thereof.

6. In a machine for printing on a. continuously fed tape, said machine having an exterior rail, a plate slidably supported on said exterior rail. tape carrying means rotatably mounted on said plate, and means cooperating with said rail to support said tape carrying means and plate during tilting of the machine for inspection of the underside thereof, said last-named means comprising a second exterior rail adjacent said first-named rail and in angular relation thereto and a guide member attached to said second exterior rail. said guide member adapted to engage a portion of said plate.

'7. In a machine for printing on a continuously fed tape, said machine having an exterior rail, a plate slidably supported on said exterior rail, tape carrying means rotatably mounted on said plate, and means co-operating with said rail to support said tape carrying means and plate during tilting of the machine for inspection of the underside thereof, said last-named means comprising a message receiving compartment adjacent said first-named rail and in angular relation thereto and a guide member attached to said compartment, said guide member adapted to engage a portion of said plate.

8. In a machine for printing on a continuously fed tape, said machine having an exterior rail, a plate slidably supported on said exterior rail, tape carrying means rotatably mounted on said plate, and means co-operating with said rail to support said tape carrying means and plate during tilting of the machine for inspection of the underside thereof, said last-named means comprising a second exterior rail adjacent said first-, named rail, and in angular relation thereto, and means extending from each of said rails to yieldably retain said plate in tape-feedingposition.

9. In a printing machine having an externally mounted tape wheel, means for resisting rotation of said wheel, tapefeedmeans responsive to the printing operation for causing rotation of said wheel notwithstanding said resisting means and a removable slide-plate supporting said wheel and resisting means.

10. Supporting means for a roll of tape adapted to be fed to a printing machine, said supporting means comprising a rail attached to the exterior of said machine, a plate slidably supported on said rail, tape carrying means rotatably mounted on said plate, and means cooperating with said rail to support .said tape carrying means and plate during tilting thereof from the normal disposition.

ALFRED EDWARD THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France of 1927- 

